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Strategies for State Think Tanks – January / February 2011 SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF TransformationalFUNDRAISING BY DANIEL ERspaMER AND LYNN HARSH THIS IS A year full of tremendous opportunity for free-market strategies and objectives that match supporters. The bow of the ship of state will turn one direction your organization’s mission and your potential investors’ needs. Then your or another, and SPN affiliates have the opportunity to help turn development department will need people who think, write and speak like it toward liberty. In fact, state think tanks not only have the your prospective customers – people opportunity, but also the responsibility to do so. who build communication bridges from your policy programs to your prospective clientele and investors. Such a program State think tanks are well-positioned necessary to execute the plans. Make no also requires a well-oiled development to make real change. Moreover, our mistake: Your programs will always be infrastructure to collect, maintain, supporters expect it from us. They are chronically underfunded unless you can segment and analyze data. These are very seeking transformational ideas developed effectively communicate to a growing different skill sets, but each one is aimed by policy entrepreneurs aimed at returning number of people what you do and why at the same goal. America to a freer, more prosperous it matters. nation. In both personal conversations Below are seven characteristics that mark a and public research studies, it is clear This brings up the first law of fundraising: A successful fundraising program capable of that philanthropists are looking to invest, successful fundraising program is designed seizing on big ideas and raising substantial as is often said, in a “big idea whose time around the real and perceived needs of your resources to see them through. has come.” current and potential investors, not the needs of your institute. It is up to you to THE LEADERSHIP IS And if this isn’t the time, when is? connect the dots and link programs and PRODUCTIVELY ENGAGED services with people who need and want Financial stability requires engaged That said, big ideas must be bolstered what you produce. by solid strategies and practical plans. leadership, beginning with your institute’s The plans must be communicated Creating a successful, stable development trustees. They should be one of your continued on page 4 clearly to people who have the resources program requires that it be linked with 2020 North 14th Street Suite 250 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-243-1655 Fax: 703-740-0314 [email protected] www.SPN.org JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2011 Cover Your Online Basics VOL 12 • ISSUE 1 SPN News reports on issues of importance to state-focused, market-oriented, nonprofit public policy research organizations. BY NICOLE WILLIAMS Drawing from current updates and events from within the industry, the publication provides timely information on the most pressing EVERytHING WE HAVE learned about issues facing public policy state think tank executives. State good website design is now in significant Policy Network publishes SPN News six times a year. Individual copies can be ordered from the State Policy Network offices at flux with the dawning of the touch-screen 703-243-1655. All images used in this issue are owned by their era. Android, iPhone, iPad and Windows respective copyright holders. All rights reserved. Mobile 7 are rapidly gaining market share, which means it is time, once again, to MISSION STATEMENT review how information on your website State Policy Network is the capacity building service organization organizational information in a user- for America’s free market, state-focused think tank community. is displayed. friendly, text-based way. We advance a free society by providing leadership development, management training and networking opportunities for think tank However, before your organization professionals and by promoting strategic partnerships among Simple search function. Make sure your concerns itself with touch-screen market-oriented organizations. search function is as easy as Google, and technology, a better first step is to make one of the first three things your website sure you have covered the basics well STATE POLICY NETWORK™ visitor sees. on your institute’s current website. The Tracie Sharp, President following eight points offer a check list Christopher Anderson, Technology Strategist Connection to social networks. At a Jennifer Butler, Executive Vice President for website fundamentals. minimum, make sure your organization Denise Chaykun, Program Director, Leadership Development Initiative is represented on Facebook, Twitter and Professional looking graphics. Your Daniel Erspamer, Vice President for Development Youtube. Set a regular, but maintainable site should have consistent fonts, and Lynn Harsh, Vice President of Leadership Development schedule to update these social networks, attractive graphics, with plenty of white Sarah Joy Hays, Donor Relations Manager and link them to your homepage. Holly M. Jackson, Director of External Relations space, so visitors feel like sticking around. Contact me for tips on how to do this in Caitlin McGovern, External Relations Assistant Stories should be told with words and Daniel Montgomery, Graphic Designer a manageable way. pictures. TNReport.com does an excellent Michelle Poehlmann, Administrative Assistant job with this. Michael Ross, Development Associate Donation function. Your donate button Laurel J. Tacoma, Program Coordinator, needs to be easy to use and easy to find at Leadership Development Initiative Relevant and new content. If your site all times. Not sure who to use to process Betsy Thraves, Executive Assistant and Office Manager has ever-changing, useful information, contributions? Look at ElectionMall or Kurt T. Weber, Senior Advisor and Editor, SPN News your visitors are more likely to return Nicole Williams, Management and Technology Advisor Paypal. to it – often. Easy, low-cost ways to do Event Management by Doner Fundraising: this are to have an organization blog, or Kate Doner Contact information on the first page. Rachel Rountree, Becky Wessels, Monique Wright to compile important information from Better yet, how about on every page, at BOARD OF DIRECTORS your state, such as all government press the bottom? releases, into an information center. Thomas A. Roe, Founding Chairman (1927 - 2000) With the holiday iPad-giving extravaganza Gaylord K. Swim (1948 - 2005) RSS feeds that are easy to find. Put your just past, this is an excellent time to do a Theodore D. Abram ...........American Institute for Full Employment Whitney L. Ball ..........................................................Donors Trust RSS button either high on your page or fast website audit to see if the above basics prominently at the bottom to help visitors Carl Helstrom (Chairman) ................................The JM Foundation are covered. Any of the above that are not Gisèle Huff (Treasurer) ........................Jaquelin Hume Foundation easily subscribe to your work. Don’t have up and running should get added to the Barbara Wells Kenney (Secretary)....... Lillian S. Wells Foundation RSS? It’s time to contact your web vendor, “get it done” list – before you upgrade Adam Meyerson ..................................... Philanthropy Roundtable Operation Geek Farm (OGFCommunity your organization’s website to reach the Tracie J. Sharp (President) ........................... State Policy Network .com) or me to evaluate what it will take Stanford D. Swim .........................................The GFC Foundation touch-based audience. Be assured, that Bridgett G. Wagner ................................. The Heritage Foundation to get this basic feature in place. topic will be covered in a forthcoming Thomas Willcox ...................................... Thomas Roe Foundation SPN News. Text-based posts: Kill the PDF. PDF 2020 North 14th Street Suite 250 Arlington, VA 22201 documents are pretty. They are also hard Phone: 703-243-1655 Fax: 703-740-0314 to download, crash some devices, and Nicole Williams is the SPN [email protected] www.SPN.org management and technology State Policy Network has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, are impossible to read on many smaller advisor, and founder of America's largest independent evaluator of charities. tech devices. To stay relevant, do offer Operation Geek Farm. Reach her at [email protected]. FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND FOLLOW US ON TWITTER a PDF download, but also reformat ® twitter.com/statepolicy SPN NEWS 2 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2011 James and Dolley Madison come to life for high school students through the James Madison Institute's outreach efforts. Advancing Liberty Through the Ages The Three Rs Student Students For Liberty of a Good Youth Freedom Project BY CLARK RUPER Program BY LASSE LUND Students For Liberty undertakes the BY BECKY LINER THE EVERGREEN FReedom Foundation grassroots legwork to find pro-liberty has always carried out its mission with the college students all over the country, EVERyone KnoWS THE three Rs are next generation in mind, but recently EFF has students who are thirsty for resources. essential to a good education. But what transformed that ideal into a specific focus. three Rs hold the key to teach high school From books and policy studies to swag and students about founding principles and free In September 2010 the Foundation speakers, SFL can help state think tanks market ideals? launched the Student Freedom Project distribute their resources to